Ichiraku
by mkh2
Summary: Ichiraku. One Comfort. My first memory of the kid.


Ichiraku

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a Naruto fanfiction

by

mkh2

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Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sensei is awesome. I would never suggest that I could have done the "Naruto" series, no matter how much I wish it was mine. It's all his. Still, a girl can dream, can't she?

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All words of Japanese origin used in this piece are listed at the bottom and explained to the best of my abilities.

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" " – indicates speech

' ' – indicates thought

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            The first time I saw the kid was about four years after the Kyuubi incident. I was just wiping the counter, keeping shop as usual, when the honorable third Hokage appeared in front of my eyes. I blinked once, twice. It was a great honor to have him at my shop, after all. Yes, to ever receive his patronage would be a great honor indeed. Straightening, I was about to go and invite him to one of the best seats when I noticed him talking lowly to a small figure standing slightly behind him. He pushed the small figure forward, a slight smile on his face. I looked into the upturned child's face that beamed up at me from where he stood next to the Third.

            Now, I had never seen the vessel for the Kyuubi before but I had heard plenty of descriptions. Blonde hair, large baby blue eyes, three identical whisker-like marks on each cheek, short of stature for his age. Yep, this had to be him. Though… he didn't _look_ very threatening…

            The kid was sniffing at the air eagerly before turning to the Hokage. "Is that ramen? I smell ramen!" the boy chirped eagerly, wiggling and wriggling where he stood.

            The Hokage nodded to the boy and the boy suddenly was standing at the counter.

            "Hi! I was given money to put in my froggy and froggy looks cute chubby but now I'm gonna have some ramen so froggy isn't going to be so chubby. I want mine with extra naruto cuz I like naruto. I like naruto so much and it's my name too, my name is Naruto so I like naruto even more," the small blonde bundle of talkative energy scrambled up the stool and started bouncing in his seat. "Do you like naruto?"

            "Yeah," I grunted, moving to make the order, quietly watching the kid from the corner of my eye. The kid was squirming so much I knew if he had a tail it would've been wagged off by now.

            I served him his ramen and went back to cleaning the counter, half watching as he chatted happily with the Third Hokage, the kids legs swinging under the booth as he slurped up a few more noodles. Some how he reminded me of a puppy, begging to me petted. Is this really the Kyuubi's vessel? He must be, for the Hokage to take such an interest in him.

            Eventually they finished eating and talking and after much explaining to the boy on how to use the money the child pulled out a fat, green… _froggy_ wallet, pulled out the needed money and paid. The child hopped off the stool and hopped back on again, pulling out a few more coins and chirping ("_Tip!_") then slamming them on top of the bill as well, before hopping off once more.

            The Hokage paused in his movement to the door and looked back at me, as if he knew I was curious about why he'd bring him out into the village where people hated him if he was who I believed he was. The child seemed too fragile to endure the abuse he'd probably have to live through.

            "That child, he will have a hard life, it's true," the Hokage puffed on his pipe thoughtfully. "But, at least we can offer him this one comfort."

-Owari-

Ichiraku: One comfort. Cute name, ne?

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Well, another one-shot, this time about the guy who runs the Ichiraku. I think he seems likable enough, in his own, rough, brusque way (well, from what I can tell from the tiny pieces I saw in the manga.) He usually lurked in the background, but he seems to have his own code of conduct for how to behave (thinking back on how he felt that Sasuke should've bought a bowl of ramen after asking for information on where to find Naruto.) I figure he's a nice enough guy since he could tolerate "the demon"… or maybe he doesn't care so long as he gets his money. Either way, isn't it all the little things, the type of stuff that makes you nostalgic, like apple pie or fresh baked bread, of a great comfort when you least expect it? Yeah, it's like that for me anyways. I'm especially partial to the scent of ramen now – it makes me feel, warm and happy fuzzy feelings even before I fully recognize the scent. :)

I must say, though – QuickEdit really sucks! No more nice little marks and stuff hey say are irrelevant to speech leaves you with ugly blocky lines like the ones I'm now using. (Sighs.) Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, ne?


End file.
